Nairn, Scotland: Jazy Roberts and Mannat Brar have advanced to the Round of 32 at The 122nd Women’s Amateur Championship.
Australian Roberts and Indian Brar both recorded emphatic victories in the first round of match play at Nairn.
While Roberts swatted aside the challenge of England’s Sophia Fullbrook 7&6, Brar eased past German Uma Bergner 5&4.
“I played pretty solid and made a few birdies. I think I was three-up through three holes, so I was pretty happy with that. I knew if I could just hold it there then I should be fine,” said Roberts, 127th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
“We play a fair bit of match play back home. Our season has just finished so I've had a little bit of practice. But on a golf course like this anything can happen,” added Roberts, who challenged for top honours at the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) in Vietnam in March.
“Finishing fourth at the WAAP championship was a huge confidence boost. I think from the start of the year it's been pretty solid. I’ve been happy with how it’s been going. Hopefully I just keep using that experience to play well,” said Roberts who will take on Scotland’s Jennifer Saxton in the Round of 32 on Friday.
Following her triumph on Thursday, Brar, who is making her third appearance in The Women’s Amateur Championship, now faces Ireland’s Rebekah Gardner.
“I made three birdies in a row in the first three holes so I knew I was doing well and that momentum kind of continued through the entire round,” said Brar, who is drawing on the experience she gained last year when reaching the semi-finals in The R&A Girls’ Amateur Championship.
She said: “Every time I'm here, I'm learning more about the links. It's so fun playing this event. It's just getting better each year. Getting to the semi-finals of the Girls’ Amateur Championship gave me a lot of confidence. Playing at such a big event and being the first Indian to do well in it was very special. That was a very positive thing to happen to me.
“Technique-wise I think I've gotten better since then. I'm hitting fades and draws better in the wind now, so I think that's what's really helping in these conditions.”
For Celine Chen, Momo Sugiyama and Judy Joo their interest in the championship was ended in the Round of 64.
Chen suffered a one-down loss to American Andie Smith while her fellow-Australian Sugiyama succumbed to France’s Constance Fouillet 5&4.
Korean Joo booked her place in the match play phase after a tense win against Switzerland’s Romaine Masserey at the seventh hole of a play-off that began on Wednesday evening. By the time darkness descended they could not be separated after six holes so had to return a 7.45 am on Thursday morning with St Andrews University student Joo prevailing with a par at 18.
That success gave her the dubious privilege of being paired against American Jasmine Koo, the top seed after winning the 36-hole stroke play phase earlier in the week.
It proved a bridge too far for Joo, who lost the first six holes and eventually went down 7&5.
Koo expressed sympathy for her beaten opponent. "She played this morning (to complete the play-off) and had to get up early and then she played until like 10:45 pm last night. That's really tough, to have to do all that and then go up against someone who's having a good week," Koo said.
